Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University Featured Rankings
- #1 Physics Liberal Arts Colleges
- #1 Chemistry Liberal Arts Colleges
- #1 Sociology Liberal Arts Colleges
- #1 Economics Liberal Arts Colleges
- #1 Political Science Liberal Arts Colleges
- #1 Computer Science Liberal Arts Colleges
- #1 English Liberal Arts Colleges
- #1 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Connecticut
- #1 Philosophy Liberal Arts Colleges
- #1 Religious Studies Liberal Arts Colleges
- #1 Best Small Colleges in Connecticut 2022
- #1 Best Liberal Arts Colleges 2022
- #1 Math Liberal Arts Colleges
- #1 Liberal Arts Colleges for Biology Degrees
- #2 Best Private Colleges in Connecticut 2022
- #2 Best Small Colleges 2025
- #2 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Psychology Majors
- #2 Best Colleges in Connecticut 2022
- #2 Anthropology Liberal Arts Colleges
- #2 Most Influential US Universities by State
- #2 Best Grad Schools in Connecticut 2022
- #4 History Liberal Arts Colleges
- #6 Sociology Colleges and Universities
- #7 Psychology Colleges and Universities
- #7 Economics Colleges and Universities
- #8 Best Biology Colleges and Universities
- #27 Best Undergrad Private Colleges
- #29 The Fastest Traditional MBA Degree Programs
- #31 Best Undergrad Colleges 2025
- #31 Best Private Grad Schools 2022
About Wesleyan University
Featured Alumnus
John Levi Martin ranks among our Top Influential Sociologists Today.
Wesleyan University was founded in 1831 under the auspices of the Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1872, Wesleyan led the way in admitting female students, an effort sometimes referred to as the “Wesleyan Experiment.” However, resistance to the experiment in certain quarters made itself increasingly felt, until the policy was reversed in 1912. Women were not admitted again until 1970.
In 1937, the university became officially independent from the Methodist Episcopal Church.
Today, Wesleyan is a fully secular, private research university. It comprises 46 undergraduate academic departments which offer more than 900 courses each semester. In addition, the university has 11 graduate-level departmental programs. Among its innovative programs we may mention the College of East Asian Studies, the College of the Environment, the College of Film and the Moving Image, and the College of Integrative Studies.
Wesleyan also has a highly respected world music program, covering West African, Caribbean, African-American, South Asian (classical Indian), Southeast Asian (classical Indonesian), and East Asian (classical Chinese, Japanese, and Korean) traditions, in addition to the traditional European classical music traditions, including contemporary and experimental music.
Wesleyan University is associated with four Nobel Prize laureates, namely,
- Novelist, V.S. Naipaul for literature
- Chemist, Satoshi Omura for physiology or medicine
- Economist, Gary Yohe for peace
- 28th US President, Woodrow Wilson for peace
In addition, in the early 1960s, towards the end of his life, the great Anglo-American poet, T.S. Eliot, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1948, worked as an editor for Wesleyan University Press.
Other prominent Wesleyan-associated individuals include the following:
- Mathematicians, Edward Burr Van Vleck, Sanford L. Segal & Jennifer Tour Chayes
- Computer scientist, Leslie Greengard
- Philosophers, Robert Stalnaker & Daniel Dennett
- Poets, Richard Wilbur, Donald Hall & Mark Strand
- Non-fiction authors, Mary Roach, Sebastian Junger & Ariel Levy
- Literary scholar, Seth Lerer
- Actors, Alice Nunn, Bradley Whitford, Laura Fraser, Sarah Schaub & William Garson
- Comedian, Vladimir Caamaño
- Film director and producer, Michael Bay
- Film director, producer, and screenwriter, Joss Whedon
- Film and TV screenwriter, Mike White
- TV screenwriter and producer, Matthew Weiner
- Popular musicians, Amanda Palmer, Santigold (Santi White), Andrew VanWyngarden & Ben Goldwasser
- Jazz saxophonist and composer, Steve Lehman
- Operatic composer, lyricist, and playwright, Lin-Manuel Miranda
- Musicologist and classical composer, Neely Bruce
- Gamelan virtuoso, Sumarsam
- Experimental classical composer, John Cage
- Physicist, Edward Bennett Rosa
- Statistical physicist, H. Eugene Stanley
- Geologists, William North Rice, Alexander Winchell & Gordon P. Eaton
- Chemist, Wilbur Olin Atwater
- Biochemist, Charles Brenner
- Botanist, Albert Francis Blakeslee
- Zoologist, Aaron Louis Treadwell
- Neuroscientist, Michael Greenberg
- Psychologists, Elliot Aronson, David McClelland & Beverly Daniel Tatum
- Psychotherapists, Allan Hobson & Amy Bloom
- Sociologist, Juliet B. Schor
- Historians, Nicholas Dirks & Kate Cooper
- Historians of science, Charles C. Gillispie & Gerald Holton
- American studies scholar, John Stauffer
- African American studies scholar, Saidiya Hartman
- Economists, Steven M. Sheffrin, Kenneth D. West & Gary Loveman
- Economist and political scientist, Charles Tiebout
- Political scientist, Adam Berinski
- Legal scholars, Naomi Mezey & Gabriel J. Chin
- Radio personality, Angela Yee
- TV journalist and political commentator, John Yang
- Online newspaper publisher, Robert Allbritton
- Former Colorado Governor, John Hickenlooper
- Current US Senator, Michael Bennett
According to Wikipedia, Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts university in Middletown, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1831 as a men's college under the Methodist Episcopal Church and with the support of prominent residents of Middletown, the college was the first institution of higher education to be named after John Wesley, the founder of Methodism. It is now a secular institution.
Wesleyan University's Online Degrees
Wesleyan University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
Annual Applications | Acceptance | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
---|---|---|---|---|
14,521 | 14% | 93% | 1415 | 32 |
How Much Does Wesleyan University Cost To Attend?
Tuition (in-state) |
---|
$64,322 |
Income | Average Net Cost |
---|---|
0 - 30K | $5,122 |
30K - 48K | $3,847 |
48K - 75K | $6,975 |
75K - 110K | $15,364 |
110K+ | $44,356 |
How Much Do Wesleyan University Graduates Make?
If you graduate from Wesleyan University, then you can expect to earn an average of $63,400 per year. You also have a 92% chance of being employed after 10 years.
Wesleyan University's Demographics
Demographic data is for full-time, on-campus students.
Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
---|---|---|
3,904 | 3,631 | 273 |
Where is Wesleyan University?
Wesleyan University is located at 45 Wyllys Avenue, Middletown CT 06459
How Safe is Wesleyan University?
Middletown has a violent crime rate of less than .01% and a property crime rate of less than .01%.
What Is Wesleyan University Known For?
Wesleyan University is known for it's academic work in the following disciplines:
- Philosophy
- Literature
- Psychology
- History
- Economics
- Political Science
- Sociology
- Physics
- Education
- Religious Studies
- Chemistry
- Anthropology
- Mathematics
- Biology
- Earth Sciences
- Computer Science
Wesleyan University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Who Are Wesleyan University's Most Influential Alumni?
Wesleyan University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Literature, Philosophy, and Psychology. Here are some of Wesleyan University's most famous alumni:
- Daniel Dennett
- An American philosopher.
- Joss Whedon
- An American director, writer, and producer.
- Edward Thorndike
- An American psychologist.
- Ram Dass
- An American contemporary spiritual teacher and the author of the 1971 book Be Here Now.
- John Perry Barlow
- An American poet and essayist.
- Adolf Grünbaum
- A German philosopher.
- David McClelland
- An American psychological theorist .
- Robert Ludlum
- An American novelist .
- Robert Stalnaker
- An American philosopher.
- Elliot Aronson
- An American psychologist.
- David Abram
- An American philosopher, ecologist.
- H. Eugene Stanley
- An American physicist.
Who Are Wesleyan University's Most Influential Faculty?
Wesleyan University's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Literature, Philosophy, and Psychology. Here are some of Wesleyan University's most famous alumni:
- Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
- A Nigerian writer.
- Alexis McGill Johnson
- An American academic and social justice advocate.
- Ethan Kleinberg
- A Historian.
- Erica Chenoweth
- An American political scientist.
- Asha Rangappa
- An American lawyer.
- Douglas A. Martin
- An American writer.
- Chawne Kimber
- An African-American mathematician and quilter.
- Quiara Alegría Hudes
- An American playwright and composer.
- Maggie Nelson
- An American writer.
- Masami Imai
- A Japanese economist.
- Francisco Rodríguez
- A Venezuelan economist.
- Anselm Berrigan
- An American writer.